INTERNATIONAL
CHIROPRACTORS
ASSOCIATION

 

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Free News Updates From And About The International Chiropractors Association For You To Share With Your Colleagues And Your Patients

 

 

"E-FACTS" REPORT FROM THE ICA PRESIDENT D.D. Humber, DC, FICA

       

FIRST HIPAA DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 16^th: The first HIPAA deadline is coming up this month and all providers who file claims electronically will need to either have a compliance plan in place or have filed for an extension by October 16, 2002.  The new privacy and confidentiality rules required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, the so-called HIPAA statute, involve a new set of federal privacy and confidentiality regulations that will apply to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers including doctors of chiropractic. This law was intended by Congress to protect health records and confidential patient information from being sold, misused or otherwise inappropriately transferred without patient consent, for example from large HMOs or insurance companies to banks and credit bureaus.  This new law will require covered chiropractic practices to have a compliance plan for "electronic healthcare transactions" in place by October 16, 2002, in which providers will need to address a variety of key procedural questions relating to the security of patient data.  IF YOU DO NOT FILE CLAIMS ELECTRONICALLY, THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU.  The current published information from The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) indicates that covered providers must be in compliance with the other aspects of HIPAA by April 14, 2003.  To help understand the kind of questions that are involved, HHS has developed a series of on-line resources.  First, take the HIPAA quiz at the link below.  Please note that this quiz is for all doctor-level providers and some of the questions have to do with prescriptions so don't take offense.  This information is, however, a good depiction of the far-reaching nature of the HIPAA rules.  

http://www.regreform.hhs.gov/hipaaquiz_0204171/sld001.htm

 

Next, review the extensive resource document prepared by HHS, which is also in a question and answer format, and is available on-line at:

www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/finalmaster.html

 

Finally, every DC in active practice will want to look at the published compliance plan information for electronic transmission and storage of patient information also available on-line at:

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa2/ASCAForm.asp

 

YOU CAN FILE YOUR EXTENSION REQUEST DIRECTLY FROM THIS LINK.

 

 

NEW ADVANCE BENEFICIARY NOTICE (ABN) FORM NOW IN USE - AVAILABLE ONLINE:  The new Medicare ABN form is the official form which Medicare providers must use to notify beneficiaries when there is a likelihood that a service will not be paid for by CMS.  This applies to covered services for which, because of limitations, caps, etc., may not be covered to the full extent of the bill.  Please note that this form is not required for every visit but only those visits for which you have some reason to believe (based on Medicare's payment history and patterns in your region) might not be paid.   This form is available online at http://cms.hhs.gov/medicare/. Medicare has published the following information and links on the ABN:

 

Advance Beneficiary Notices advise beneficiaries, before items or services actually are furnished, when Medicare is likely to deny payment for them. ABNs allow beneficiaries to make informed consumer decisions about receiving items or services for which they may have to pay out-of-pocket and to be more active participants in their own health care treatment decisions. Medicare Announces New Patient Liability Notice:
In June 2002, the agency published revised Advance Beneficiary Notices (ABNs), which may be used in connection with Medicare claims. The new ABNs are part of CMS's Beneficiary Notices Initiative (BNI). Go to the BNI Web Page to see ABNs and other BNI notices. They are designed to be more beneficiary-friendly, more readable and understandable, with patient options more clearly defined. There are two CMS-R-131 forms, the General Use form ("ABN-G") and the Laboratory Tests form ("ABN-L"). Both CMS-R-131 ABN forms are standard forms which may not be modified. Both contain customizable boxes for the individual use requirements of users, following the guidance in PM-AB-02-114.

 

DON'T MISS ICA'S EXCITING NEW PEDIATRICS SEMINAR COMING UP IN DALLAS:  You will want to make arrangements now to be at ICA's "The Pediatric Patient from Birth to School-Age" seminar with Dr. Peter Fysh at the Crowne Plaza Suites in Dallas, Texas on October 26-27.  This 12-hour seminar (approved for license renewal in Texas and Louisiana) will provide cutting-edge approaches to chiropractic care for children, using tools that will streamline your practice, provide high quality documentation and improve insurance reimbursement.

DR. FYSH WILL HIGHLGHT:

·         The growth and development of the pediatric spine

·         How to evaluate spinal structure and function

·         How to take age-appropriate history and physical exam procedures

·         The effects of spinal subluxation on a child's psychology

·         How to manage the unwilling pediatric patient

·         Frequency of care and its effects on the spine

·         Research facts on vaccines and health

PLUS, palpatory techniques for the pediatric spine and how to adjust the newborn and toddler.

 

Dr. Fysh is author of the best-selling book Chiropractic Care for the Pediatric Patient, a 450+ page text that reviewers are calling "excellent" and "the most comprehensive textbook on chiropractic pediatrics that is invaluable to the educator, student and family practitioner."  He is one of the foremost authorities on the subject of chiropractic pediatrics with a busy family practice in Sunnyvale, California.  Former Professor of Pediatrics at Palmer-West, Dr. Fysh currently serves as the Vice Chair of the ICA Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics and Examiner of the Pediatrics Diplomate Board.   A prolific writer whose articles and papers have been published in trade magazines and scientific journals, Dr. Fysh has been championing the cause of chiropractic care for children all his professional life and his trademark "Kids Need Chiropractic Care Too" is recognized world-wide.  To register for this exciting seminar call ICA's Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics at 800-423-4690 or 703-528-5000. Early bird registration rates end October 11^th. 

 

NEW STUDY MEASURES MEDICATION ERRORS IN PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY ROOM PATIENTS:  The October, 2002 issue of Pediatrics (2002; 110:737-742.) has published a study of 1,532 children given medication in relation to an emergency room visit, finding that more than 10 percent received a prescribed medication in error.  The study selected 12 days at random over the summer of 2000 as the basis for their chart review.  This and other findings indicate the need for constant vigilance by parents and health professionals in caring for our youngest patients.  This paper is worth reading and may be accessed online at This link

 

NEW WARNINGS NOW ON MALARIA DRUG TIED TO VIOLENCE AND PSYCHIATRIC INCIDENTS:  Reuters Health News Service is reporting that The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert on October 4th highlighting strengthened warnings recently added to the labeling for Roche's Lariam (mefloquine), a drug used for the prevention and treatment of malaria.   In late August, major news services reported that the U.S. Army was investigating an apparent link between a malaria drug given to U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and four murders that occurred at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  The widely used drug "Lariam" apparently had been administered to these individuals, two of whom killed themselves after they killed their wives.  According to The New York Times, "Lariam has rare reported side effects, including agitation, depression and aggression.   The FDA said on October 4th that the Lariam label had been changed to stress, according to the Reuters report, "...that the drug is contraindicated for preventive use in patients with active depression, recent history of depression, generalized anxiety disorders, psychosis, schizophrenia or other major psychiatric disorders.  The FDA alert adds that if "psychiatric symptoms such as acute anxiety, depression, restlessness or confusion occur," they should be considered a possible warning of a "more serious event." Reflecting the savage competition between drug firms, Reuters further reported that: "On the day that the news about the Pentagon investigation broke, rival firm GlaxoSmithKline said that data had been added to the label of its malaria drug, Malarone...suggesting that the product causes fewer neuropsychiatric side effects than Lariam does. "

 

DATES TO REMEMBER: Chiropractic Without A Doubt with Dr. Steve Hoffman and Dr. Robert Braile, November 2-3^rd, Richmond, Virginia; New Era in Whiplash & Spinal Trauma with Dr. Dan Murphy, November 9-10^th, Hartford, Connecticut; Chiropractic Care for Kids with Dr. Peter Fysh, October 26-27^th, Dallas, Texas; Annual Conference on Chiropractic Pediatrics, New Orleans, Louisiana, November 22-24th, 2002; Certification in Chiropractic Spinal Trauma (CCST) program kickoff, January 18-19th, 2003, with Dr. Dan Murphy, Las Vegas, Nevada; 11^th Annual ICA Symposium on Natural Fitness Featuring Arnold Schawarzenegger, February 28th-March 2^nd, 2003, Columbus, Ohio.